


Fruits Basket Word Prompt Drabbles

by KaminariDenki



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: Drabbles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-03-17 03:25:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 10,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13650447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaminariDenki/pseuds/KaminariDenki
Summary: Short drabbles for Fruits Basket!





	1. Moon

Tohru glanced outside the window and let out a gasp.

"What's wrong, Tohru?" Yuki asked, peering outside along with her. His gaze travelled around the yard, seeing nothing of importance.

"It's a full moon!" She exclaimed, clasping her hands together, "The moon is so beautiful!"

"I'd be careful around Shigure during a full moon," Kyo warned vaguely, leaning his head into his palm, elbow resting against the table.

"Why?" Tohru turned, blinking curiously at the cat zodiac.

"Because during full moons, Shigure turns into a rabid werewolf with the thirst for blood!" Kyo hissed, smirking.

Tohru gasped, raising her hand to cover her mouth, "Oh no! How scary!"

Yuki sighed and moved to reassure Tohru, but then Shigure walked into the room, mouth open to greet them.

"K-Kyo! It's Shigure!" Tohru wailed, pointing at the confused brunet.

"Don't worry, Tohru! I'll protect you from this pervert bastard!" Kyo bared his teeth at him.

"Yuki, what's going on?" Shigure questioned, standing idly in the doorway.

Yuki just sighed again and scooted towards the ginger, raising his fist to punch him over the head.


	2. Sun

"Today's a lovely day, don't you think, Kyo?" Tohru smiled, sitting on the porch.

Kyo mumbled something, laying beside her. He stretched his legs out and rolled over, yawning. The sun shines on his back, warming his fur.

"Aww, how cute! He's in cat form. I wonder how he transformed." She pondered, gazing warmly at the orange feline. She raised an arm, her hand hovering over his head. She hummed thoughtfully, "I wonder if he'll purr if I pet him..."

Tohru carefully lowered her hand and ran her palm down his neck and back, lifting to bring it back to his head and repeat the action. Kyo shifted, huffing quietly.

She giggled and began scratching behind his ears, emitting a soft rumbling sound from him.

His tail flicked, brushing against the brunette's thighs and she chuckled at the ticklish feeling. Tohru smoothed her free hand along his back, revelling at how soft his pelt was.

Poof! Smoke billowed out of nowhere and a naked human Kyo suddenly replaced the cat.

Tohru wailed and turned away, covering her eyes.

"Hmm?" Kyo hummed, unaware that he had changed back. He sat up and looked down, cursing. He looked up to see Tohru slowly scooting away. "Uh- Shit... Sorry!"

He jumped to his feet and quickly dashed into the house.

Tohru exhaled, blushing.


	3. Wind

"Why the hell is today so windy!?" Kyo yowled, exasperated.

Harsh winds blew, ruffling hair and tugging threateningly on clothes. Leaves and other light objects tumbled across the ground, flying past the small group. Trees loomed and shook, branches swaying wildly.

"Just deal with it, stupid cat." Yuki's quiet voice was barely heard over the rumbling wind.

"Did you say something, damn rat?" Kyo hissed loudly.

"You guys really shouldn't fight," Tohru exclaimed, glancing worriedly between the two zodiacs.

"No, I'd rather them fight here than in my house..." Shigure chuckled, patting Tohru's shoulder.

Then, a rather forceful breeze blew, unravelling Tohru's scarf. It slipped out of her grasp and began gliding away.

"Oh no!" She gasped, her hand reaching out in a vain attempt to catch it.

Arms wrapped around her shoulders in a quick embrace, then a familiar black dog pelted after the scarf, jumping and catching it in its jaws. In the spot where Shigure stood, sat a thick kimono and other clothing.

The dog, with its tail wagging, trotted with ease through the pushing wind current and dropped the scarf in Tohru's hands.

She beamed brightly at the canine and patted his head, bowing, "Thank you, Shigure!"

"Show off..." Kyo mumbled under his breath.

"Pervert." Yuki huffed, voice drowned out.

"You're very welcome, Tohru! Just hold onto it tighter, okay?" Shigure nodded, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

"Hey, what are you going to do when you-" Yuki began, but was cut off after a poof sounded and smoke - which quickly dissipated in the wind - surrounded the dog. A very bare Shigure stood in the street. "Turn back..."

A mischievous glint shone in Shigure's eyes, but the others, who quickly turned around as he transformed, yelled at him to put clothes back on.

"Aww, but running around in your birthday suit is very refreshing," Shigure whined as he collected his clothes.

That statement was quickly rewarded with a rock to the head.


	4. Fireworks

"I can't wait! The fireworks are going to be so pretty!" Tohru beamed.

"Seems pretty boring to me," Kyo grumbled, sitting slumped over on the blanket they set out on the ground. His elbow rested on his crossed legs, chin in his palm. "When are they going to start?"

"Hopefully soon!' Shigure chirped.

"I don't see why we had to invite _him_." Yuki motioned to where Ayame was sitting, adjusting Tohru's yukata.

"The more the merrier!" The dog zodiac beamed.

"Though those two aren't very merry... But whatever, us three are going to have the time of our lives watching the fireworks!" Ayame clasped his hands together, laughing heartily.

Then, loud crackling sounded and a long red trail shot up into the sky, erupting into many small sparkles dotting the sky. A blue version followed it, then a white firework.

Eyes widened and mouths hung open in awe at the magnificent sight, expansive colours shot and fell, lighting up the sky in an uncoordinated yet dazzling light show. Booms and poofs echoed around the clearing, a satisfying sound accompanying each colourful flare.

Even Kyo, who had been reluctant to come and unwilling to participate in everyone's joy, was staring upwards in amazement.

"Truly magnificent!" Ayame gushed.

"I agree! It's really beautiful!" Tohru nodded, eyes sparkling.

Suddenly, a large blue beam of smoke and light exploded and grew closer to them. Ayame and Shigure quickly ducked away, the former squealing and covering his head. Yuki dove over and shielded Tohru, shoving them both away.

The unfortunate one, who wasn't fast enough to get away, was Kyo. He stared at the quickly nearing firework and howled, slamming himself onto the ground. A small patch of hair had caught fire, but went unnoticed.

"What the fuck?" He spat, glancing back to see the firework burst and set a few strands of grass alight.

"Ah- Kyo..." Tohru began, gesturing to her hair.

"What?" He snapped.

"Your hair is... on fire..." She chuckled dryly, bowing.

"Oh- shit!" He spat, patting hurriedly at his ginger mop, wincing as it quickly went out, smoke billowing lightly.

"Wow, that was the best firework so far," Yuki smirked, turning away from the cat so he couldn't see it.

"You wanna fight, damn rat!?"


	5. Chocolates

"Hey Tohru, did you make everyone chocolates again?" Shigure asked, raising the cup of tea he held, eyes scanning over the news paper in his other hand. He and the others were seated in the dining room, the early morning sun shining through the thin paper sliding doors.

"Mmhmm!" Tohru hummed, nodding her head.

"I can't wait to taste them. Your baking is really delicious, Tohru." Yuki commented.

"I'll be giving them to you and Kyo after school. Is that okay?" She bowed politely, glancing up to see Yuki smile.

"Anytime is fine." The rat answered, "are you going to give some to the others, too?"

"Yes! I made lots of chocolates for everyone. I hope they like them." The brunette chuckled, then her face twisted into confusion and she rested her index finger on her bottom lip, thinking, "Isn't chocolate bad for dogs and cats, though? I read somewhere that it's poisonous for them."

Shigure raised and eyebrow, frowning slightly, "too much chocolate is bad for animals, but I assure you us Sohmas can eat them no problem."

"That's good! I wouldn't want anyone to be poisoned." Tohru sighed in relief.

"But Kyo's digestive system is really, _really_ weak so you can't give him chocolate. Give me them instead, okay?" The dog chuckled mischievously, licking his lips at the thought of extra chocolate.

"Are you sure...?" Tohru mumbled, unsure and hesitant, "last year, Kyo seemed _really_ intent to eat Kagura's chocolates and didn't look sick afterwards."

"He was just foo-"

The door slid open and a foot slammed into Shigures face. "SHUT UP! STOP SAYING I CAN'T EAT CHOCOLATE!"

Shigure just laughed and rubbed his face.

"Oh, Kyo! Happy Valentine's Day! So you can eat chocolate?" Tohru greeted him warmly.

"...Yeah." He scratched the back of his head, suddenly bashful.

"Aww, no extra chocolate for me." Shigure whined, sulking. The glasses he was wearing slipped down his nose.


	6. Chase

Tohru, Yuki and Kyo were walking out of the school, heading towards the gate. A figure was leaning against a fence post, staring at the sky, which was covered with puffy grey clouds thick with unshed rain.

As they drew near to the person, it became clear who it was...

"Oh shit!-"

" _Kyooooooo_ ~"

Kagura sprinted towards Kyo, who ducked away and sped away from the school, the boar zodiac on his heels. They rounded a corner and disappeared from sight.

"Oh my..." Tohru muttered, her gaze lingering on where they left.

"Don't bother with them." Yuki continued on, leaving school grounds.

Tohru quickened her pace to catch up with him.

They arrived home, though minus one. Shigure questioned them, Yuki mumbling a name in answer.

"Ah- It's raining... I hope Kyo and Kagura are going to be okay..." Tohru watched as the ground quickly grew wet as the rain grew harsher.

"They'll be fine." Shigure waved her worries off, chuckling.

_"-In the rain, witnesses say two animals, identified as a boar and a cat, were seen running around the town, the boar in pursuit of the cat."_

The remaining household turned to the television, where the blurry footage of two animals were seen pelting past the camera.

_"Animal control was called, but seem to be unable to catch the two animals."_

Yuki snorted, raising his eyebrows somewhat smugly, Shigure barked with laughter and Tohru blinked in confusion.

"Hopefully they don't transform back in the middle of the street!" The dog smirked, watching the screen with amused interest.

Smoke suddenly enveloped the television screen and a very bare Kagura was standing in the street, though still tailing poor Kyo, who had yet to change back.


	7. Snow

Gentle flakes of snow drifted from the sky, covering the ground in a large blanket of cold whiteness.

Tohru glanced up and brushed the cottony substance from her hair, silently reminding herself to bring a hat tomorrow.

Tohru, Yuki, Kyo, Uo, Hana, plus Momiji and Haru were exiting the school grounds. The rabbit zodiac halted and knelt down, collecting snow in his gloved hands.

Tohru leaned in to look over his shoulder, watching as the blonde rolled the clump into a smooth ball. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Making a snowball!" The rabbit exclaimed, "Catch, Yuki!"

He raised his arm, pulling it back, then whipped it forwards and flung the ball at Yuki, who sidestepped out of the way, easily dodging it.

"Why did you throw it at me?" Yuki glared at the younger student, exasperated.

"Aww, I wanted to hit you with it." Momiji whined, leaning down to scoop more snow up.

"Hey! Let's have a snowball fight!" Uo smirked, copying Momiji. She compiled a large ball and chucked it at Kyo, who jumped as it splattered onto the side of his face.

"You wanna go!?" He spat, crouching down to scoop a handful of snow, then aimed it at Uo, only for the ball to collapse midair as he threw it, and drift daintily to the ground.

Snow continued to be thrown around, with Tohru standing idly by, watching as everyone tired themselves out. She chuckled, watching as Haru and Momiji flopped onto their backs, the latter immediately shifting his limbs to make a snow angel.

Yuki, who ended up covered in snow as everyone else had targeted him, trotted over to stand beside Tohru and wiped the cottony substance from his hair and shoulders, "Tohru, you didn't participate."

"I'm not very good at throwing, plus I don't want to be pelted with snowballs and I didn't want to ruin your fun," she waved her hands dismissively.

"You wouldn't be ruining our fun." Yuki reassured her, smiling softly.

Tohru looked up at the sky, overcast with light grey clouds, the sun barely visible, dipping behind buildings and houses, "Hmm... I think it's almost supper time. We should probably head home."

"Yeah. If Kyo doesn't get up, we should just leave him." Yuki stared wryly at the cat zodiac, who was thrashing around on the ground, snow covering his face thanks to Uo.

"He must be very cold!" Tohru rushed over to help him up.


	8. Orange

"Does he look more like a carrot... or an orange...?" Uo mumbled, holding up the two foods.

"How about a pumpkin, they're orange, right?" Tohru chuckled, holding up a tiny pumpkin.

"Or maybe a peach." Uo smirked, placing the two objects down and picking up the fuzzy fruit, throwing it in the air and catching it.

"Will you guys stop comparing my hair to fruits and vegetables!?" Kyo snapped, glaring at the occupants in the room.

"I think he's more like a lemon, because of his sour attitude," Yuki cut in, returning the glare.

"Do you want to fight, damn rat!?"

"Why even try, you'll most definitely lose."

"My electrical waves are picking up a large amount of heat coming from his temple, I'd say he's most likely a jalapeño. Because he's so hot-headed," Hana mumbled, staring intensely at the orange-haired zodiac.

"Shut up! I am not hot-headed!" Kyo snarled, slowly backing away from the ravenette.

"If Hana says you're hot-headed, you are, jalapeño." Uo said, handing the fruits and vegetables to Tohru, who put them in the fridge.

"You all are so damn frustrating!" He stomped away angrily, heading outside.

"If Kyo's a jalapeño, then Tohru is a strawberry, because she's so sweet and innocent!" Shigure laughed, "and I love strawberries!"

"Stay away from her," Yuki glared warningly.


	9. Laser

"Hey, look at what I bought," Tohru exclaimed, holding up a small, cylinder-shaped object.

"What's that?" Shigure asked, leaning closer to observe it.

"A laser pointer." She smiled, pressing the button on the end of it. A translucent beam lit up and a tiny red dot appeared on top of the table.

The three zodiacs stared at it, but then Tohru wiggled the laser pointer and Kyo moved to bat at it.

Kyo, as if hypnotized, followed the dot around the room, stumbling around and clawing at the walls in a desperate attempt to catch it. 

"How fun." Shigure smirked at the cat's unfortunate position, his eyes not once leaving the dot.

"How stupid." Yuki sighed, the only one not phased by the laser pointer.

Tohru giggled as Kyo hopped over the table and landed on his hands and knees, two cat ears perched on top of his head. They flattened against his hair.

Shigure placed the newspaper he had been reading down and joined the cat in trying to catch the dot.

The dot flashed to the ceiling, sitting there tauntingly at the two, and they sat still underneath it, waiting for it to come down. Then it disappeared, and they both stared at Tohru, who was hiding her mouth behind her hand and holding the pointer. It was on, the dot resting on Shigure's forehead.

Kyo pounced, tackling the dog zodiac and pawing incessantly at his head.

The dot travelled away from the two, making circular shapes on the paper door and the zodiacs both went to leap at it, but Yuki pulled the door open and they toppled onto the porch.

"Ouch! Kyo, you're on top of me!" Shigure whined, pulling himself out from under the cat.

"The hell was that for!?" Kyo hissed at the brunette.

Tohru placed the laser pointer on the counter, "It was very funny to watch you and Shigure run around the room, trying to get the laser," she giggled.

"It was funny when Kyo was doing it, but not when I was." Shigure sighed, brushing off his kimono and stepping back inside.

"Then why did you chase it?" Yuki rose an eyebrow, sitting down at the table.

"I couldn't help myself. It was as if it was... pulling me to it," the dog zodiac picked up the newspaper again and continued to read it.

"Same for me. Never do that again!" Kyo glared at Tohru.

She beamed innocently in response.


	10. Bath

"Oh my, Kyo! You're absolutely filthy!" Shigure gasped dramatically.

"Don't say it in that way!" Kyo snapped, flicking his paw in an attempt to shake the mud and rain off. He was currently standing at the door, still in cat form after being chased by Kagura around the town. His fur was slicked down, stuck to his skin by the water, which trickled onto the floor.

"You're still in cat form," Tohru blinked.

"Yeah, the rain does that..." Kyo mumbled, glowering at the ground.

"You should probably take a bath. You don't want to get sick, and you'll probably leave dirt everywhere if you come inside," Tohru said.

Kyo flicked his tail in frustration, "I can't... wash myself as a cat..." He growled, embarrassed.

"Oh, how about I wash you? I've never bathed a cat, but I heard you can just use dish soap or something." She smiled, reaching down to pick the cat up.

Kyo's face heated up as Tohru scooped him up and carried him to the bathroom. She placed him in the tub and began running the water, leaving to go find some dish soap.

He shifted uncomfortably as the water began filling up, the liquid engulfing his paws.

Tohru returned and placed the bottle onto the floor. She rolled her sleeves up and waited for the water to reach a reasonable height, stopping it when it reached halfway on his legs.

Kyo glanced warily at her as she squeezed a bit of soap onto her hands, and moved to rub it onto him. Kyo jumped at the feeling of her fingers working into his fur and he unconsciously leaned closer to her, purring. 

Her nails dug pleasantly into the sweet spot on his back and he couldn't help but purr louder.

After she had covered him from head to tail, she scooped up water into her palms and trickled it over his shoulders. The water, which had been clear, faded to an opaque brown as she washed the mud and soap off of him.

Kyo glanced up at her and she smiled at him, her fingers caressing his paw as she worked the dirt from his claws.

Tohru leaned over the tub and plucked the drain stopper out and left the room to grab a towel. Kyo deflated at the loss of her soothing touch, but perked up as she picked him up, wrapping him in a towel.

He wiggled, feeling the amused stares of Yuki and Shigure. He glared at them over Tohru's shoulder and nestled deeper into the towel.

Later that night, when he was back in human form, he locked himself in his room and wouldn't come back out.


	11. Heat

"Why the hell is it so hot?" Kyo drawled, currently draped on top of the table in cat form.

Shigure, also in his animal form, panted loudly and whined, laying stretched out on his back, on the floor, "Tohru, we're dying here!"

"I'm sorry, it seems that these are all of the fans you have." She replied, fanning herself with her hand.

"This heat is bad for my skin..." Shigure complained, rolling pathetically onto his side.

"Deal with it. It'll cool down later." Yuki mumbled, standing in front of a fan in rat form, trying not to be swept away from the cool breeze.

"I could really go for some shaved ice right now..." The dog peered at the brunette, eyes pleading.

Tohru smiled and nodded, "though we're going to have to go out and buy some. We don't have anything to make the shaved ice."

Shigure perked up, his tail wagging, "Yay!"

"I'll be right back, do you all know what flavours you'd like?" Tohru stood up and felt through her pockets and took out her wallet, inspecting the amount of yen inside.

"Lemon!" Shigure barked, sitting up.

"...Orange," Kyo mumbled, stretching his arms out.

"I'd like strawberry, please," Yuki bowed slightly, waving his tiny paw as Tohru put her wallet away.

"Alright, please wait while I go get some!" The brunette trotted out of the house.

Not too long after, she returned, balancing four styrofoam cups of shaved ice, each a different colour. Tohru placed the respective cups in front of the animals, lifting her spoon to dip it into her own.

Kyo lapped at the treat, cringing at the coldness. Yuki nibbled lightly on a small chunk of ice soaked with strawberry flavouring.

Meanwhile, Shigure licked at the shaved ice, his large tongue bigger than the cup, which teetered and fell over at a particularly strong lap. The ice splattered onto the ground and Tohru made to stand up to clean the mess, but Shigure just shook his head.

"No worries, Tohru. I've got this," he said as he began eating the ice off the floor.

Kyo's nose scrunched up in disgust, "Gross! We step all over the carpet, y'know?"

Shigure just chuckled, his lips pulling in what looked to be a smile as he paused, "So what? Can't let delicious food Tohru bought us go to waste!"


	12. Ice-cream

"Tohru, Tohru!" Kisa chirped, raising her hands and embracing the brunette tightly. She leaned her head into the other's chest and giggled.

"It's nice to see you again, Kisa." Tohru returned the hug, patting the tiger zodiac on the back.

Hiro, who had been trailing after Kisa, scoffed and wedged himself in between the two, separating them, "quit being so gross. Hey, let's do something fun."

Kisa frowned but nodded, glancing up at Tohru.

"How about we go see a movie? I bought some tickets, so we can see what's on," Tohru suggested, smiling lightly.

"Yes!" Kisa beamed, grabbing Hiro's hand and dragging him over to the street.

Tohru followed them, chuckling as Kisa clutched onto the sheep zodiac's arm. Hiro blushed lightly, scoffing. He tapped her head, earning an airy giggle.

"Hey, Tohru. Buy us ice cream," Hiro ordered, stopping in front of an ice cream parlour. Kisa nodded in agreement.

Tohru peered through the shop window, humming lightly, "I don't think you can bring ice cream into the theatre. We'll have to buy some after."

Hiro narrowed his eyes at her, sending her his harshest glare, "Kisa said she wanted ice cream, so buy her some," he crossed his arms, stamping his foot on the ground.

"Hiro..." Kisa patted his arm, tugging lightly on his sweater sleeve.

"Ah... Alright, I'll buy you some ice cream. But you're going to have to eat it quickly. Okay?" Tohru led them into the parlour, ordering them the ice cream they wanted. The two children sat down in a booth as Tohru collected the treats, carrying them over to the zodiacs.

"Finally... I've been waiting here forever." Hiro snapped as he snatched two of the cones, handing one to the patiently waiting Kisa.

"Thank you very much, big sister!" Kisa lapped at the ice cream, smiling.

Tohru chuckled and sat down across from them.

Hiro pouted and mumbled, "Yeah... Thanks... or whatever..." He took a bite out of the cold treat, earning a cringe from the two females.

Then, with a particularly hard lap, Kisa's ice cream dropped onto the floor. She blinked a few times before tearing up, staring disappointedly at the lost ice cream.

"Ah! Oh no, Kisa. Please don't cry. I'll buy you a new one." Tohru moved to stand up, but Hiro shoved his cone towards Kisa, looking away.

"Take it. I don't want it anymore."

Kisa hesitated before taking it, smiling warmly at the sheep.

"How cute," Tohru cooed, watching as the two shared the ice cream.


	13. Hair

"Hey Tohru, your hair is really beautiful! You should do more with it," Ayame beamed at her, smoothing his fingers through her hair.

"Hmm? I've never really thought of doing anything fancy with it..." She mumbled, turning her head slightly to look at him.

"How about I give your hair the perfect new 'do?" Ayame chirped.

She waved her hands dismissively, "oh no– I don't want to take time off your busy schedule!"

"It's no problem at all! I closed the shop to come visit, it's alright, just let me beautify your pretty hair," The snake whined.

"Ah– okay..." Tohru shifted, looking forwards.

Ayame laughed and pulled a hairbrush out of the kimono Shigure had lent him. He dragged the brush through Tohru's hair, taking care to brush out the small knots that the brunette had missed.

He placed the brush down and collected some hair at the side of her face, splitting it into three equal parts. He hummed a song as he began braiding it carefully, his fingers working into the strands until there was no more hair to braid.

Ayame pulled a hair pin from his kimono (wear he kept them, Tohru didn't know) then tied it off with a hair band and stretched the hair along the back of her head to the other side of her face, clipping it down right above her ear.

He then pulled the hair into a low ponytail with his fingers, tying a hair band around it.

Ayame inspected his work, then gave a hum of approval, "alright, Tohru dear, I'm done!"

He led her to the mirror in the bathroom, his hands resting on his shoulders as the brunette examined her hair, "It's wonderful! Thank you very much!" She chirped, tugging gently at the ponytail.

"It's no problem, I'd love to play with your hair more often," Ayame winked, "now let's go show the boys your beautiful hair."

Tohru blushed lightly but followed him downstairs. Ayame pulled her in front of him, embracing her from behind, "look at our beautiful Tohru!"

"How fancy! Going somewhere?" Shigure asked, placing the newspaper he had been reading on the table.

"N-no, Ayame just wanted to do my hair," she replied shyly.

Shigure nudged Kyo, smirking smugly, who stuttered and shoved the dog zodiac's shoulder away.

"You certainly do look lovely, Tohru," Yuki smiled from where he sat at the table.

"Of course she does! Come on, Kyo! Aren't you gonna say something about her hair?" Ayame cooed, patting Tohru's head.

"Shut up! She looks... nice, okay?" Kyo snapped, crossing his arms and glaring at the table.

Tohru blushed deeper in response and giggled, "aww, thank you!"


	14. Thunder

Lightning stretched across the sky, the loud rumbling of thunder following after it. Rain battered against the house, sharp lashes of wind rattling the windows and doors.

The lightbulb flickered slightly, catching the attention of the occupants in the dining room.

"Oh no, I hope the power doesn't go out," Tohru frowned, glancing out the window.

"If it does, we can just pass the time telling scary stories!" Shigure exclaimed, grinning widely.

Kyo and Yuki both glared at him, stomping on his idea with a harsh "no".

"The last time you told a scary story, Tohru had trouble sleeping," Yuki said blandly.

Shigure sighed dramatically, resting his elbow on the table and placing his chin in his palm. He hummed as he thought of a fun thing to do to pass the time. As he was thinking, the light flickered once more before dying out, engulfing the whole room in darkness.

Kyo grumbled loudly, leaving the room and coming back with a candle and lighter. He lit the candle and placed it on the table, allowing a small sphere of light to brighten the area a bit.

"I know, let's tell embarrassing stories! I'll go first. One day, Yuki was doing a school play and had to dress up as a–" he was cut off as the rat leaned over the table and slapped his hand over his mouth, muttering darkly at him to shut up.

"No no, please go on, what did the dumb rat have to do?" Kyo smirked.

Shigure moved Yuki's hand away, yelping loudly, "He had to dress up as a girl since there was nobody else to take the role!"

Kyo burst out laughing and Tohru chuckled airily, smiling as the rat stomped out of the room.

"I got pictures, too! Shigure chirped as another flash of lightning lit up the house, followed by a roll of thunder.


	15. Laugh

"Hey, I've never seen the prince laugh," Uo stated, leaning against Tohru's desk.

"Maybe he's incapable of laughing because he's got an ice cold heart?" Kyo suggested, scowling slightly at the topic.

"Perhaps we should test and see if he has the ability to laugh?" Hanajima suggested, her voice hushed.

Tohru nodded, agreeing, "I think he can laugh, he just needs a good reason to!"

Kyo's nose scrunched up and he shook his head, "why and how the hell are we gonna make him laugh?" He crossed his arms, sitting back in his chair.

"I'll probe his mind with my waves until he feels ticklish and laughs," Hana muttered quietly, folding her hands onto her lap.

Uo chuckled half-heartedly, patting Hana's shoulder, "perhaps we should just... I don't know, tell a joke or something?"

"Ah! I got the perfect one!" Tohru exclaimed, smiling. She stood up and trotted over to Yuki, who had just got out of a conversation with someone.

Midway, her foot caught on the ground and she stumbled and tripped, but Yuki was quick to catch her and help her up.

"Are you okay, Tohru?" He asked, checking her over for any signs of injuries.

"I'm okay! I just tripped, I'm alright," Tohru giggled, waving her hands in front of her face.

Yuki chuckled, nodding, "that's good."

"Well, guess that's as good as we'll get..." Uo sighed as Tohru began conversing with the zodiac, completely forgetting about the joke.

"Really!? Is he a sadist or something!? He laughed at her after she tripped!" Kyo hissed, staring at Yuki incredulously.

Hana hummed thoughtfully, "maybe just seeing Tohru made him laugh?"

Kyo huffed and crossed his arms.


	16. Book

"Why the hell did you bring me to a bookstore?" Kyo snapped at the rat.

Yuki turned, glaring coldly, "we are here to get a gift for Tohru, so shut up and go find a book for her."

"A book? Why a stupid book?" Kyo crossed his arms, standing still.

"Because we have to repay her somehow," Yuki answered, already browsing through the shelves, occasionally pulling a book out and inspecting it before sliding it back in place.

Kyo grumbled but followed after him, "what kind of book does she even like?" He asked, looking at the cover of a rated 18+ manga. Kyo quickly shoved it back and left that area.

"...I don't know, but I think she'll like anything we'd get her," Yuki mumbled, glancing up at the horror section, choosing to not even glance at the titles. He hummed thoughtfully as he pulled out a cook-book. He flipped through it, nodding in approval at the wide variety of Japanese and foreign dishes shown inside.

"What about this one?" Kyo held up a book about learning martial arts.

Yuki narrowed his eyes at him, trying to decipher whether he was serious or not. After Kyo impatiently shoved the book towards him with a scowl in his face, Yuki figured he wasn't joking.

"Seriously, a book about fighting? Tohru wouldn't dare hurt a fly, you know," he said blandly.

Kyo stepped forwards, waving the book at him, "you said Tohru would like anything we got her, so,"

"Be quiet, stupid cat. You're going to get us kicked out. Put that back, I found her something," he grumbled, heading over to the cash. As Kyo stomped away, he paid for it.

"Just because you think she'd like something, doesn't mean she will," the rat put the left over coins into his wallet and shoved that into his pocket.

"Shut up, you damn rat! Quit complaining, I tried to find her something! It's the thought that matters, yeah?" Kyo hissed, his voice raising?

Yuki made his way to the entrance, "I don't think you were thinking when you found that book."

"Fight me! I'll kill you!" Kyo jogged after him, his hands balled into fists.

"No. We came here for a gift for Tohru, though you were really useless, not to fight!" Yuki quickened his pace.

"Get back here, you coward!"


	17. Dog

"Hey Shigure, do you ever visit the dog park?" Tohru asked one day, in the middle of cooking dinner.

Shigure, who was sitting at the table and planning his next story, answered with a raised eyebrow, "why, yes I do, sometimes. You know, the dog park is how I met my love."

"You have a lover!?" Tohru exclaimed.

"Mmhmm. She's beautiful, with pale brown hair, big brown eyes and the most perfect voice ever," he mused, staring dreamily up at the ceiling.

Tohru giggled, pausing her cooking to clasp her hands together and coo at the thought of Shigure and his wife, "she sounds beautiful! How did you meet her?"

"I was running freely through the grass, my fur whipping through the wind, when I crashed into her! I, being the gentlemen I am, apologized, but couldn't help but be entranced by her beauty!"

Tohru continued stirring the pot, nodding to show she was listening.

"The next day, I went to the dog park again and saw her, sitting near a bench. She was magnificent and stunning! Her fur was painted a lovely yellow by the sunset," Ahigure continued, chuckling.

"Fur...? So she's a dog?" Tohru questioned, turning to look at Shigure curiously.

He nodded solemnly, "yes she was. But since I live as both a dog and a human, I just couldn't love her!" He swooned dramatically.

Tohru's eyes began watering, "how sad!"

Then, Yuki entered the dining room, moving to take a seat at the table.

"Yuki, did you know that Shigure has a lover?" She asked, smiling widely.

Yuki turned to the dog in question, staring questioningly at him.

"I do, guess what! I learned that she feels the same way, and Tohru, later I..."

Yuki sighed, tuning them out.


	18. Trio

"Ah, look at those three!" Shigure cooed as he watched Yuki and Kyo bicker, with Tohru giggling airily between them, trying her best to break up their inevitable fight. "They remind me so much of us!"

"How do they remind you of _us_?" Hatori mumbled from where he sat across from the dog.

"Well, obviously I'm more like Yuki, since he's very beautiful, just like me and Kyo is Shigure. Then pretty little Tohru is you, Hatori, as you're both the mediator!" Ayame chirped, clapping his hands together as he leaned his shoulder against Shigure's.

Shigure sighed dramatically, leaning his elbows into the table as he sat his chin in his palm, "I remember when we were just as rowdy as them... Such good times!"

Ayame pressed his fingertips to his lips, smirking slyly, "I'm sure we can be just as rowdy."

The dog barked with laughter, slapping the snake's shoulder playfully, "Oh, you sneaky bastard!"

"We can hear you over there! Whatever you're implying, don't do it around us!" The snappy voice of Kyo cut into their conversation.

"Oh-hoho, naughty mister Kyo! You have quite the dirty thoughts, I was just planning a casual game of frisbee with my dear pals," Shigure waved his hand dismissively, knowing all to well the cat was glaring at him, without even having to turn to see.

"Hmm? What did you think they were talking about?" Tohru asked naively, blinking curiously.

"Well, little miss Tohru, obviously Kyo is thinking about us–"

Ayame was cut off as Yuki scooted over to him, delivering a swift kick to his shin. The rat's leg tucked back into a criss-cross position as he narrowed his eyes at the dog, who laughed nervously.

"Look, Tohru. Don't worry about it, alright?" Kyo muttered, not daring to peep a word of what activities he believed the two older zodiacs were talking about, as Yuki was sure to kick his ass.

"Oh. Well, I'd be happy to join you and Ayame in a game of frisbee!" The brunette smiled warmly.

"Whatever you do, _don't_ join their frisbee game!"

"Tohru, please don't listen to them. They're very dangerous."

Yuki and Kyo's indignant voices mixed together as they insisted for Tohru to ignore any suspicious requests the perverted duo of dog and snake ask of her.

"We are not like them at all. If you both made any kind of gross hints of sexual activies with me, you'd be castrated quickly," Hatori added, raising his cup of coffee to his mouth, taking a slow sip.

Shigure held up his newspaper, blocking the cold noirette from view, "so scary! You really should lighten up and be more like Tohru!" Ayame nodded quickly, grinning at the thought of the sea dragon twirling around in a maid's dress.

This time, both of them earned a kick to the legs from underneath the table.


	19. Tickle

Tohru's unexpected nap was suddenly interrupted when she felt something tickling her nose. She raised her hand in an attempt to relieve the bothersome itchiness, rubbing gently at her nose. Her fingers brushed something fluffy and when she opened her eyes, the bright orange fur of Kyo entered her vision.

Tohru's eyes fully opened and when she lifted her head, she could see that the cat zodiac was curled in the crook of her arms from where they sat in a circular shape on the table. His tail waved slightly, raising and flicking her face before jerkily sweeping down.

She giggled, running her palm along his head and down his back, smiling as he unconsciously stretched himself out, his paws reaching, claws digging into the wooden surface.

Still feeling, a little tired, Tohru rested her head back onto her shoulders, her nose burying into Kyo's fur.

His soft pelt gently irritated her nostrils and she breathed out, causing the feline's muscles to quiver along his flank. Kyo's cat form really was cute. Yes, he always looked grumpy, but when he was sleeping like this, he looked very peaceful and adorable.

Tohru closed her eyes, breathing out an airy laugh that was laced with mirth and sleepiness. If only Kyo was this cuddly everyday.

But then again, Shigure and Yuki would tease him relentlessly about the change, so she would have to do with the current Kyo, one who would rather eat leeks than snuggle with _anybody_. But Tohru didn't care, she'd be happy with Kyo no matter how he acted. She'd always love the cat.


	20. Night

Stars glistened brightly in the sky, the moon hung overhead and a slight breeze ruffled Kyo's hair. Nighttime was always Kyo's favourite time of day, and not because he was a cat. It was peaceful and there was no annoying dog or rat bothering him.

If he found himself unable to sleep, or just plain frustrated by the others noisiness and antics, he'd climb up here and sit back and just gaze at the stars.

And sometimes, Tohru would show up, and while he should've been annoyed at the disruption, he was actually glad that she wanted to check on him. Even if her fighting moves were terrible, having her up on the roof with him made him feel... whatever the opposite of lonely was. Loved. Cherished.

And while he'd never admit it to Tohru, (he'd rather eat an entire bucketful of leeks,) he was grateful that she would spare her good sleep schedule to keep him company. She, he realized not too long ago, was painfully selfless, always giving up herself to make others happy.

Though he profusely denied it in his mind, he'd beat up anyone who dared trick her or misuse her selflessness. Because... dare he say it... he was...

No way. He was not in love with her! She was clumsy and annoying and bothered him way too much and always gave him a bowl of milk... and she'd make the perfect wife...

"No!" Kyo spat, shaking his wildly and scratching his hands through his hair. He was not going to think about marrying Tohru! He was not a pansy! He was He was strong! A man! There was no way he could be a husband! Sure, he protected her and fought off weird boys who thought of taking advantage of her and she _did_ look rather cute in her apron while cooking...

"Oh God... I _am_ in love with her..." He whispered, sitting up, horrified at how soft he'd become. He really should spend less time up at night, if this is how his thoughts were gonna go...


	21. Flowers

Yuki's sensitive rat nose twitched, the strong scent of pollen overtook his others senses and he couldn't help but sneeze. He frowned, his thin tail lashing as he placed his paws onto the plastic holding of the bouquet of exotic flowers, struggling to pick it up.

He had been on his way home, bearing a gift for Tohru, when the pollen had made him sneeze and he turned into his other form. He'd have to come back and grab his clothes.

With a soft grunt, Yuki began carefully pushing the bouquet, making sure not a single petal touched the ground. Finally, the familiar trees surrounding his house came into view and with a burst of energy, he sped up his pace, quickly finding himself at the front door.

He went around back, skittering on the deck, paws clutching the flowers tight as he heaved it around a corner.

Just his luck! The lovely Tohru was sitting, her legs tucked underneath her, on the deck, staring up at the sky. When she heard Yuki approach with the bouquet in tow, she perked up.

"Yuki! Is that you? What do you have there?" She asked, leaning closer to him.

He presented the bouquet, a little down put that he has to give it to her like this. "For you."

She cooed, daintily grabbing the bouquet and held it up, inspecting each flower. She inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet scents of the plants, smiling gently. Tohru turned to him and held her hand against the floor, which Yuki clambered onto, glancing up at her as she directed him closer to her.

Tohru patted his head with a finger, "thank you so much, Yuki! You didn't have to buy me anything, but I'll take care of them well!" Her eyes shone with affection and the rat felt his face heat up as he nuzzled her palm.


	22. Hide

Tohru crept up the stairs, her sight set on the closet door across from her. "Is she hiding in here?" She wondered out loud as she slipped her hand into the handle and slid it open. Inside were shelves of blankets and towels, but no person sat hiding there.

She hummed curiously, closing the door and glancing around. She had searched through the entire house, on a quest to find the missing Kisa, who was hidden somewhere. But where? That was for Tohru to find out.

The little tiger was very good at the game, and Tohru hoped she hadn't purposely stressed herself and turned into her other form to hide in smaller spaces. She didn't want the young zodiac to hurt herself while playing a silly game.

Tohru perked up. Faintly, just faintly, she could hear quiet giggling. She followed the sound over to her own room and as silently as possible, opened the door. The room appeared to be empty, but as soon as she entered, the giggles had stopped.

Smiling brightly, Tohru tip–toed inside and pounced on the lump of duvet on the bed. The lump shrieked, flailing as the brunette pulled the covers off, revealing Kisa, who was grinning heartily and clutching the edge of the blanket.

Tohru roared, attacking the tiger with her hands, tickling her. Kisa yowled with laughter, trying to escape. She thrashed and flailed, face red and tears involuntarily forming.

"Ok, ok, onee-chan! You found me, let go!" She wailed helplessly.

Her attacker just chuckled and ceased her tickling. "Alright, alright. Now you have to find me!"

Kisa nodded eagerly and turned around, covering her face and counting down from thirty. Tohru scrambled away to go find somewhere to hide.


	23. Soft

"I'm so sorry, Shigure! I didn't mean to run into you, I'm very sorry!" Tohru knelt down, coming to eye level with the dog.

Shigure tilted his head, his ears flopping, "dear Tohru! Please don't worry, it was just an accident." His lips perked in what seemed to be a smirk, "but I have work to do! I can't write my stories as a dog!"

Tohru looked even more guilty than before, her hands clasping together and her head bowing. But before she could apologize again, the dog interrupted.

"How about, instead of apologizing verbally, you apologize physically?"

"What do you mean?" She blinked, resting her hands against her knees.

Shigure laid down, rolling over to expose his belly. "Pet me!"

Tohru looked surprised, but she complied and placed her palm onto his stomach. She rubbed up and down, smiling at the blissful look on the zodiac's face. She changed her course, running her nails carefully along his sides. His reaction to the movement was to kick his hind leg and whine, tongue lolling out.

Tohru giggled and scratched harder, using her other hand to run it along his head, marvelling at how smooth and sleek his fur was. When she brushed against his ear, she gasped. The tinier furs around his ear was softer and she began smoothing her digits around the skin on his head.

Shigure leaned into the touch, sighing as Tohru then used both hands to scratch both his ears, which was a spot was impossible to itch in this form.

"Your ears are very soft, Shigure!" She hummed, massaging them.

The satisfying actions caused him to transform, a cloud of smoke billowing as he switched from dog to human.

Shigure whined loudly as he ducked down to collect his clothes, "Aww, how disappointing. I was really enjoying that." He began slipping the garments on.

Tohru just whimpered and scooted away, covering her eyes.


	24. Snake

Kyo grumbled under his breath, sending a glare over Tohru's head to Yuki, who was staring forwards. But Kyo knew Yuki was glancing at him in the corner of his eye. He could see his head move slightly.

 _That damn rat thinks he's sly. I know you want to start a fight!_ Kyo hissed in his mind, bristling slightly. His grip on his bag tightened and he could feel the blood drain from his hands as his knuckles ran white.

 _I'll show him who's the better_ _fighter..._ He huffed, watching as Yuki narrowed his eyes.

Then something moved in the edges of his vision. He whipped his head over in time to see a dark, thin figure slip from the bushes. A brown snake was slithering across the path, it's beady eyes seemed to be fixed on Yuki. _Good! Eat him!_ Kyo thought smugly.

But then Tohru spotted it, seeing it nearing and jumped, crying out in fear. She held her bag out in front of her and immediately went to hide behind Kyo.

Scoffing, Kyo dropped his bag, his fingers flexing as he stepped over to the curious reptile. He used the toes of his shoes to scoop it up, resting the snake on the top of his foot. It began to wiggle wildly, so he turned and kicked his leg up, sending the snake flying back into the bushes.

"Oh! Good job, Kyo! I hope the snake is okay." Tohru clapped, beaming brightly.

"It's probably alright," Yuki continued to stare into the forest, his eyes narrowing. He was probably thinking about his annoying not-brother, Ayame.

Tohru piped up, addressing both their thoughts, "What if that snake was Ayame? Do you think we should apologize for being so rough?"

Yuki's expression turned into exasperation, "it's not Ayame. We shouldn't apologize to some random snake."

"But he might've been hurt!"

"Tohru, Ayame is white, not brown. And snakes have thick scales, so it'll be okay." Yuki reassured her, scrunching up his nose as he spoke the fellow zodiac's name.

"Why don't we invite him over and see how he's doing?" Kyo teased, smirking. The rat's gaze turned cold as he glared at Kyo.


	25. Kitten

Yuki yawned, covering his face with his hand as he walked home. He had just got out of a rather long class president meeting about changes to the school and was finally let out after an hour of throwing around ideas. He was silently glad, because the longer that stupid cat was away from him, the more his mood brightened.

And speaking of cats... A pitiful mewling caught his ears and when he peered down, a small tawny kitten with dark orange splotches running along its pelt was waddling over to him, it's spiky fur plastered with mud and rain.

He crouched down, holding his hand out to it. It immediately bounded closer and pressed its cold, wet nose to his fingers. It meowed and clambered into his palm, curling up as it batted at his wiggling finger. Yuki smiled, petting it gently. He checked its neck for a collar and felt around for a microchip, but nothing came up. It seemed this little feline was homeless.

He quickly returned home, carrying the tiny bundle in his hand.

Tohru gasped once she caught sight of the muddied cat and hurried Yuki to the bathroom, where she ran lukewarm water in the sink and grabbed a bottle of unscientific dish soap from the kitchen.

Yuki and Tohru worked on cleaning and bathing the kitten and after its formerly copper fur washed away, it revealed sleek, pale cream tabby fur and bright blue eyes. Tohru confirmed the kitten was female, wrapped her in a towel and patted her head, cooing that she wasn't the only female among the households now.

They dried her off and Yuki chose to let her run free in his room while the brunette rushed off to go get cat supplies from the nearest pet store.

He came up with many names for the small kitten, but one he was affixed with the most was Sakura. It was a beautiful name, which matched her pelt. The kitten had a bright and refreshing and unique personality, like that of a cherry tree shedding its petals. He was sure Tohru would like it too.

Tohru returned, the kitten ate quite a bit of food, then after satisfying her hunger, she curled up in Yuki's lap and fell asleep. He ran his fingers through her fur and smiled warmly. He could imagine Kyo's face when he realized that another cat had taken his place as the resident's feline.


	26. Anime

The question, "What if we were in an anime?", asked by Shigure is what started the mess.

"I think we can all agree Kyo would be the dumb, thick-headed type who would always want to fight," Yuki said first.

"Shut up! I'm not stupid! Fight me, stupid rat!" Kyo snapped, standing up. He raised his firsts threateningly, pointing them at Yuki.

He just shrugged in response, raising an eyebrow, "You just proved my point."

"I'd be the protagonist! The heroic and brave character!" Shigure smirked, sipped his tea.

"More like the antagonist..." Kyo mumbled.

"I think Yuki would be the quiet, shy character! Smart but withdrawn!" Tohru piped in, eager to be discussing animes.

Kyo burst out laughing, "Shy!" He grinned, turning to Yuki, "Ha! Prince Yuki would be the cross-dressing character!"

"Beats being a dumbass." Yuki glowered at him. The table shifted and Kyo let out a yelp. The two zodiac's legs began moving frantically, their feet kicking and fighting while their upper halves sat perfectly still.

Tohru turned to Shigure, "Shigure, you'd be the funny and flirtatious type, the comedic relief for action animes and the flirty character for comedies and romances!"

"Wow, Tohru! You've got everyone all figured out. But what type would you be...?" He wondered, thinking. He perked up, holding his palm out while slamming his fist onto it as if he got a great idea, "the ditzy and oblivious character! Always blind and eat to other character's attempts at romance."

Tohru blushed and fidgeted. "No one _really_ flirts with me, right?"

Shigure laughed whole-heartedly, patting the brunette's shoulder, "don't fret, dear Tohru! If someone tried to flirt with you, either Yuki or Kyo or perhaps both, would fight them off!"

"That's good." She smiled in response.

 _Doesn't stop them from silently falling for you, though_. Shigure thought, raising his cup to hide his grin.


	27. Date

"Let's go on the carousel!" Kisa chirped excitedly, gripping Hiro's hand tightly in her own.

The ram, blushing deeply, scoffed but nodded, not wanting to upset Kisa. He had invited her out to the amusement park so that they could enjoy themselves and he didn't want to ruin this precious day for her.

They boarded the ride, the tiger beaming widely as she seated herself on a plastic white unicorn. She patted its neck and pointed at the little brown horse beside her, "Sit beside me?"

"Sure," he nodded, sitting on it. The carousel began to move, spinning slowly. Hiro thought it was rather boring, but Kisa was smiling and he didn't care if he died of boredom, he just wanted her to smile more. She was really cute when she smiled.

Kisa giggled and swung her legs, clutching tight to the pole that stuck out of its shoulders. "This is really fun, don't you think, Hiro?"

Hiro nodded, his lips curving upwards, "What should we do next?"

"Let's get some food!" She exclaimed.

After the ride stopped, they got off and ventured over to the food court. Kisa pulled at his sleeve, drooling over all of the sweets. Hiro got a caramel apple while Kisa ordered a red bean taiyaki. They sat down on a bench and ate their food.

Hiro had quickly finished the apple and glanced over to see Kisa holding the taiyaki towards him. His face burned as he leaned over and took a tentative bite from it. It tasted sweet. Hiro pulled away, mumbling, "It tasted good."

"It does, doesn't it?" She said, licking her lips as she chewed on the last piece of it. On her nose was a dot of red bean paste.

Hiro reached his hand out and, using his thumb, swiped the paste off.

Kisa laughed and leaned into him, pressing a soft kiss into his cheek, "Thank you very much for bringing me here!"

"I-It's no problem," was his stuttered, embarrassed reply.


	28. Bite

Tohru cooed as Kisa snuffled along her palm, her rough, barbed tongue sliding across her skin. The brunette giggled and gently scooped the tiger into her lap, running her fingers along her head. She fiddled with the soft, rounded ears and pinched her fluffy cheeks, smiling when the tigress cub turned and narrowed her eyes, bottom lip puckering out in what Tohru supposed was a pout.

"Sorry, Kisa-chan! You're just so cute!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the tiger girl to pull her into a tight hug.

Kisa whined, but didn't thrash or flail, and instead leaned into Tohru, her wet nose pressing against her neck. Kisa's tail flicked lazily, a soft, crackly chuffing nose coming from her.uo

"Hmm? What's the noise you're making?" Tohru wondered out loud, bopping the cub on the nose.

"She's chuffing, which is a tigers equivalent to purring," Haru said as he shuffled into the room and moved to sit down beside them.

Tohru gasped and hugged the tiger tighter. In response, Kisa yelped and fidgeted. When the brunette didn't put her down, she instinctively opened her mouth and bit onto Tohru's shoulder.

Tohru jumped, immediately loosening her hold. "Oh, did I hug you too tight? I'm sorry, Kisa!"

Kisa licked her cheek in response.


	29. Champagne

8:34 PM.

That's what time it was now.

It was still a little too early, but Shigure was impatient. The entire reason why he came to the Sohma house's party was to drink alcohol and forget about his worries. But here he was, sitting at a table, alcohol-less with Yuki sitting on his left and Kagura dancing their traditional dance.

She _did_ look pretty and that long skirt was cute, but skirts would never satiate his thirst.

Shigure sighed, watching Kagura twirl and dance. He rested his elbows against the table, putting his chin in his hands. He sighed again, louder.

Yuki turned and glared at him for a moment, but turned back.

After five more gruelling minutes, Kagura bowed and everyone broke into applause. She smiled brightly and stepped out of the room to change into something more fitting for a party.

"Finally!" Shigure moaned as he stood up and hurried to the snack and drink table. Sitting there, on that crisp table cloth was heaven itself. A few bottles of sparkling champagne, rows of red wine, sake and even kid-appropriate juices (For the teens and the kids, he supposed). The red wine looked delicious, but his sights were set on the champagne, something he had been craving ever since he got to the Sohma house an hour ago.

With an appreciative hum, Shigure plucked a wine glass off a tray, popped the top off of the champagne and poured that heavenly liquid into the glass. He, without any hesitation, filled the glass to the brim. "I deserve this," he huffed and proceeded to chug the beverage.

"Shigure. What are you doing?" Hatori said as he approached.

Shigure beamed at him, holding up the now-empty wine glass, "Celebrating!"

Hatori just stared at him for a moment, but sighed and grabbed the glass out of his hand. Shigure protested, but the sea horse zodiac just grabbed the champagne bottle, copied him in pouring it in 'til it was full and downed it. "Being the family's doctor sucks," was his response to Shigure's gobsmacked expression.

Shigure pulled his head back and laughed, patting the other man roughly on the shoulder. "Come on, Hatori! Let's drink to forget our _unfortunate_  lives! Now, where's Ayame? We can't leave him out!"

Hatori just exhaled in exasperation and refilled the cup.


	30. Hygge

"Ahh, it's so cold! Yuki, can you get me a blanket, pleeease?" Shigure whined as he tightened the sash on his kimono, shivering slightly. He scooted closer to the kotatsu in hopes it'll warm him up more.

Yuki reached over the surface of the table and grabbed a mandarin slice, popping it into his mouth. "Go get a blanket yourself."

Shigure pouted, glaring at him. He turned to Tohru, who was peeling a mandarin. "Tohru, would you please get me a blanket?" He asked sweetly, smiling at the girl.

"Don't ask her to do things you can easily do yourself!" Kyo snapped, sitting up from his laying down position on the floor.

"She's not your servant," Yuki huffed, flicking a seed at the man.

Tohru giggled, placing the half-peeled fruit back into the bowl and standing up, "It's fine, I'll get you a blanket. Please wait here!" And with that, she trotted off, disappearing upstairs.

Shigure yelped as Kyo suddenly kicked his leg underneath the table, " _Ow_! What was that for!?"

"You're a grown man, stop making Tohru do shit for you," Kyo snapped, delivering another swift kick to his shin.

Tohru returned, with a soft, navy blue blanket in her arms. She handed it to Shigure, who thanked her whole-heartedly and wrapped himself in it. With a satisfied him, Shigure closed his eyes and rested his head against the top of the kotatsu.

"It's very hygge!" He chirped.

"It's very what?" Yuki blinked in confusion.

Kyo prodded his blanket cocoon, "Did you just make up a word? What the hell does it even mean?"

Shigure slapped his hand away, "Hygge is a Danish word! It basically means comfortable!"

"Then just say comfortable, dumbass!" The orange-haired male spat, red eyes narrowing in annoyance, "You don't know how to speak Danish!"

"I'll learn it, just to spite you!"

"Shut up!"


	31. Sneeze

"Achoo!"

Shigure, Kyo and Yuki Tohru, who was washing the dishes in the kitchen. She sniffed loudly, red, puffy eyes screwing shut as she sneezed again.

Yuki hurried over to her and took the plate and sponge from her hands. He placed them on the counter and helped her tug her gloves off, "Here, miss Tohru. Let's go to the living room. You shouldn't be doing the dishes when you keep sneezing."

"I'm sorry," she sighed but let the boy usher her onto the couch.

"Don't worry about it, miss Tohru. Do you know why you're sneezing?" Yuki smiled warmly at her as he sat down beside her.

Tohru tapped her chin thoughtfully. She looked at her lap, catching sight of the multi-coloured fur strands sticking to her apron. "I think it may be because it's winter, and since your guys' animal forms grow thicker fur and shed... I may be sneezing because of the fur everywhere.

"I guess we do shed quite a bit, huh. Sorry, Tohru!" Shigure chuckled, picking some orange fur from Tohru's sleeve. "Look! It's Kyo's fur! I guess even his fur wants to stick to our previous Tohru," he smirked.

Kyo growled at him, clenching his fists and raising it threateningly, "Shut up! I'm not shedding on her on purpose!"

"Hmm, sure you aren't!" The dog taunted, throwing the strand into the air and he watched as it drifted onto the top of Kyo's head.

Kyo's angry shout was stopped as Tohru sneezed again.

"Well, if you're sneezing because of us, I think it'd be best if we kept our distance until the shedding calms down," Yuki suggested.

Tohru shook her head, cupping her nose with her hand, "You dint have to do that!" She said hurriedly, her voice sounding nasally and stuffed.

Shigure patted her shoulder with a paper handheld fan. "It's just until we stop shedding so much. Don't worry!" The man gave a reassuring thumbs up.

Another sneeze cut into Tohru's response, and the three zodiacs quickly backed out of the room, much to the brunette's protest.


	32. Hide

Tohru hummed in concentration, pulling the hallway closet door open. Frowning at the absence of a person hiding in it, she closed it again and trotted along the hall until she reached her room. Opening the door, Tohru peeked inside, glancing around for any obvious differences.

She walked inside, her socked feet padding gently against the floorboards. She went over to her bed and lifted the blanket, tucking it back down once she didn't see anyone underneath. Next, Tohru looked in her closet, but deemed the room empty of any sneaky hiders.

Heading back into the hall, the brunette cast a wary glance towards Yuki and Kyo's rooms. She doubted the person she was looking for would be in those two rooms, and they definitely won't go into Shigure's, so that left one place left to hide.

Tohru clenched her hand into a determined fist, sneaking up to the door to Shigure's study. She knocked once, twice, and upon hearing the dog zodiac's questioning greeting, she opened the door.

"Good afternoon, Shigure-san!" Tohru bowed lightly, "I hope you don't mind me intruding, but I'm looking for Kisa."

Shigure, who was sitting at his desk, doodling odd pictures at the bottom of one of his writing drafts, smiled mischievously and shook his head, "Not at all, Tohru! Though, I've been here for a while and I haven't seen her come in here."

Tohru smiled at him but looked around. She trotted over to the front of the desk and peered around his legs, spotting the curled-up form of Kisa sitting, pressed up against the back of the desk. Her hands were over her face to stifle her laughter and her cheeks were flushed with mirth.

"She is here! Shigure-san, you lied." Tohru reprimanded him.

Shigure shrugged cheekily but moved away to let Kisa stand up.

Grinning, Tohru pulled the girl into a tight hug, cooing, "I found you, Kisa!" And the tiger zodiac smiled in return, her hands coming up to wrap around Tohru's waist, her small fingers scrunching up the brunette's shirt. She pressed her face into Tohru's chest, an airy laugh breezing out from between her lips.

Behind them, Shigure chuckled, sitting back down, "How cute!"


End file.
